With Gold Coast's A-League campaign coming to an end in the first round of the play-offs last month, Culina will train with the Dutch side from April 1 to May 5 following discussions with Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek. The midfielder, who joined the new A-League side in the summer after four successful seasons with PSV, declined several European offers in the January transfer window before rejecting more recent approaches from Asia and the Middle East. "The decision to go to PSV was made with Pim's blessing and we both thought it was a very good idea for me to train at a very high level with a top European club," said Gold Coast player of the year Culina, who captained Australia in their recent Asian Cup qualifier against Indonesia. "I had the option of going to Europe in January and to the Middle East or Asia a few weeks ago, but I declined those offers as PSV was always in the back of my mind. "My decision was made easier by the standard of football in Holland and the quality of the training, which, with all due respect, is higher than what I would find in Asia or the Middle East. "I know the area, I know everyone there and they know me, so the transition will hardly be felt at all, which allows me to just slip right in and concentrate on doing what I'm there to do." Australia have been drawn in Group D in South Africa alongside Germany, Serbia and Ghana and begin their campaign against Germany in Durban in Durban on June 13.
